Seeker 141

Test

Chapter 141. Sky Dragon Valley

In the early morning, after having breakfast and packing up the camp, we continued our journey on foot for a few hours. 

By the time the sun reached its zenith, we had arrived at the Valley of the Sky Dragon.

"So, this is the Valley of the Sky Dragon?"

"Amazing..."

"It's huge!"

"I must admit, this is my first time seeing it in person as well."

Each of us looked up above our heads, overwhelmed by the grandeur of the landscape. 

On both sides, towering cliffs stood tall and steep. 

We were standing at the entrance of a narrow valley, sandwiched between these cliffs. But to simply call it narrow would be a misconception. 

In reality, the width of the valley floor between the cliffs on the right and left was easily comparable to a four-lane highway.

The height of the cliffs on either side rivaled that of towering skyscrapers, spanning dozens of floors.

These colossal cliffs extended far into the distance, meandering gently.

However, we couldn't remain awestruck forever. 

We treaded on the reddish-brown earth, advancing through Sky Dragon Valley. 

For a while, nothing eventful occurred. 

We were making steady progress through the majestic natural terrain.

But then, after about an hour of traversing the valley floor.

"Oh, Daichi-kun, look over there—"

Kazane-san pointed to the sky. 

Amidst the blue expanse visible between the gaps in the cliffs, a black silhouette with outstretched wings was floating alone.

That silhouette circled in the sky and gradually grew larger. 

In other words, it was rapidly approaching. 

There was no mistaking it—a colossal flying object encountered in a place like this could be none other than a monster.

And this was Wyvern's habitat.

"Prepare for battle!"

"Understood!"

I readied my spear and shield, Kazane-san drew two daggers from her waist, Aria-san held her slender sword, and Yuzuki gripped the Fenrir Bow, assuming an attacking stance.

Simultaneously, I cast [Protection] on everyone, Kazane-san cast [Quickness], and Yuzuki cast [Fire Weapon], prioritizing and bestowing these buffs in succession.

Despite rapidly closing in, it was still approaching from high above.

We had ample time to grant these buffs to all our allies.

A few dozen seconds later, the massive flying object, descending rapidly, closed the distance to combat range.

Its appearance was indeed that of a Sky Dragon.

Without any prior knowledge, anyone encountering it in Sky Dragon Valley would mistake it for the creature this valley was named after.

Sky Dragon possessed green scales, lacked front limbs, and had a sharply pointed tail that resembled a javelin at its end. 

That tail was Wyvern's most formidable weapon. 

If it stabbed into you, it injected a lethal poison.

The potency of this poison was incomparable to the venom carried by Death Spiders or Giant Vipers. 

While venom could take hours to bring a victim to death's door, the lethal poison could produce fatal results within seconds to minutes.

Of course, that was assuming no countermeasures were in place.

We are about to enter the range of the attack magic.

The four of us, including Aria-san, have each enveloped ourselves in magic shine.

At that moment, Wyvern flapped its wings with a rustling sound, altering its flight trajectory in a zigzag pattern. 

It was swiftly closing in like lightning, constantly changing its course. Though it's difficult to aim, still—

"[Rock Bazooka]!"

"[Wind Slash]!"

"[Icicle Lance]!"

Kazane-san, Aria-san, and I simultaneously unleashed our offensive spells. 

What I cast wasn't the usual [Rock Bullet], but a higher-tier attack magic I had newly acquired, [Rock Bazooka]. 

I learned it to bolster my aerial dragon countermeasures weak against earth attributes, even if just slightly.

From the space just in front of me, a boulder of considerable size was launched with a force akin to that of a cannon. 

This magic attack, which possessed a gentle homing trajectory, along with the wind blade from Kazane-san and the ice spear from Aria-san, all hit Wyvern squarely without missing the mark.

"All hits landed! Remaining HP: 598/700! ── [Flame Lance]!"

Following a beat after us three, Yuzuki released her magic. 

Unlike the magic from me, Kazane-san, and Aria-san, her spear of flames had a significantly higher density of magical power, piercing through Wyvern.

By the way, Yuzuki intentionally delayed her spellcasting for a reason.

While it would slightly disadvantage the ongoing battle, she still wanted to do it for verification.

Even after taking direct hits from all four magic attacks, the wyvern continued its advance without faltering. 

We were soon about to engage in close-quarters combat.

"Remaining HP: 484! ── Senpai, Kazane-san!"

"Leave it to us!"

"Hotaru-chan and Aria-san, fall back!"

Kazane-san and I stepped forward with our weapons imbued with flames, ready to counter Wyvern's attack from the upper front. Immediately after, we clashed with Wyvern.